Early 2026 cattle exports from Australia to Indonesia have been softer as the Indonesian Government introduced temporary price caps on slaughter-weight cattle during Ramadan and Lebaran to keep beef affordable for consumers. While these controls reduced feedlot sale prices below the level local feedlots are willing to pay, making exports less profitable, the first six weeks of the year saw around 20,000 head of cattle shipped — a modest start compared to previous seasonal trade bursts. However, many in the industry expect that once the price cap returns to normal after Ramadan, demand from Indonesian feedlots will rise alongside the traditional dry-season increase in cattle movements in April.

Australia’s strong cattle supply outlook, following successive favourable seasons, positions exporters to benefit from renewed trade flows later in the year. Continued coordination between producer regions and export stakeholders could support a positive rebound in live export volumes, especially if weather conditions allow mustering to progress smoothly in the coming months.
Source: https://www.beefcentral.com/live-export/ramadan-price-controls-slow-exports-but-april-uplift-expected/